Samsung handset division managers return part of bonuses: source

Se Young Lee

2 Min Read

Students walk out of a showroom at the headquarters of Samsung Electronics in Seoul October 28, 2011. REUTERS/Jo Yong-Hak

SEOUL (Reuters) - Nearly 200 managers at Samsung Electronics Co Ltd’s mobile division have voluntarily returned a quarter of their first-half bonuses, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said, with the firm poised to post its worst quarterly profit in two years.

The decision to return some of the bonus was partly a gesture to demonstrate that managers are taking responsibility for the earnings decline, and partly a way to show that management will work harder, the source told Reuters on Friday, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Such gestures are not uncommon in South Korea’s corporate world, where senior employees of listed companies have been known to take similar steps when performance dips. The source did not give further details, though local media reports estimated that the value of the returned bonuses would likely exceed 3 billion won ($2.92 million).

A Samsung Electronics spokeswoman declined to comment.

Samsung’s cash-cow smartphone business has been losing market share as Chinese rivals such as Xiaomi and Lenovo Group Ltd offer increasingly feature-rich phones at lower prices.

Meanwhile, a survey of 35 major global markets by researcher Counterpoint showed the flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone was outsold by Apple Inc’s iPhone 5S in the month of May, suggesting that the device was not selling as well as hoped.

Samsung pointed to inventory buildup for its mid-to-low tier products as well as the strength of the South Korean won in its earnings guidance last week. Samsung will disclose its full earnings for April-June on July 31.